I sighed and thought about what I would say to him if this were any normal situation that I was trying to convince him to accept. “Because, Jo Jo,” I closed my eyes and smiled into the phone, “you love me more than I deserve, and you care about me and don't want me doing anything stupid, which you've witnessed plenty of in my past up until now. But, I promise you, my life is different since I came home from the hospital. I'm not going to be some lost girl trying to find her calling in life anymore. This huge change has come along, and I have to ride the wave for now to see where it takes me.” I was hoping it would be enough to convince him.

  Joel was quiet for a few seconds and then sighed deeply into the phone. “I don't really like the idea that you have to keep all of this secret stuff, Evika, but as long as I know where you are, that you are okay and we can stay in contact from here on out and see each other and talk to each other without this whole thing getting in the way, then I'll bite my tongue. If this is what you really want, then I'm here for you no matter what. But you have to promise me that this isn't some act of subterfuge because I swear, girl, it will end in a nasty cat-fight. Do you hear me?” I could hear the playfulness in his voice toward the end and a wave of relief set in.

  “I hear you, Jo Jo. No worries. I swear it. Cross my heart.” I was proud of the direction the conversation had taken.

  “And how old is this Hayden guy, anyway?” Joel inquired. I could tell he was becoming a little more open to the concept now, and I was glad we were off the subject of the “new job.”

  “Oh,” I bit my bottom lip and looked up at Hayden again, “his age?” Hayden smirked at me and held up both his hands, one with two fingers and the other with the full five. “He's twenty-five,” I told Joel as Hayden nodded in satisfaction.

  “Ev, are you sure this guy is a safe choice? You don't see any sort of problem with just moving in with him?”

  “Jo Jo, I feel completely safe with him. I promise. He's really helped me out since I've been home,” I assured him. “Besides, here at the apartment and even when we move to Georgia, he'll be in his own room. Not in mine.”

  “Yeah, for now,” Joel jeered.

  “Joel!” My face flushed as I thought about what he implied. I laughed nervously, then I recalled something I once said and realized it was the proper time to bring it up. “Okay, do you remember that time we were talking about how people are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime?”

  “Yeah, I remember,” Joel answered me.

  “Well, I told you that you can know someone for twenty years, and just one day can make you realize you've been wrong about them and you didn't know them at all. Then you can know someone for twenty minutes and know them instantly and feel like you've already known them for twenty years. That is how I will explain Hayden to you. He's like a twenty-minute person.” It was funny how easily the analogies came to me; how easy it was to explain how I felt about Hayden.

  Joel sighed, and I waited through the long pause for his answer. “You're really going to pull out the twenty-twenty card on this guy, huh?”

  I smiled. “Yes, I'm pulling out the twenty-twenty card.” It was quiet for a moment.

  “You better be right, Ev-bear, because I love you with all my heart, and I can't bear to see you hurt. I am thousands of miles away from you, and I swear I'd never forgive myself.”

  “Cross my heart, honest. You have nothing to worry about, and neither do I,” I assured Joel. Then I saw Hayden's hand in front of me, palm up. I turned to see that he was gesturing for me to hand him the phone. Seriously?

  “Uh, Joel, do you wanna talk to him?”

  “Oh, by all means, Evika,” Joel said with an exasperated tone. “Put the boy on the phone.”

  I pulled the phone from my ear and covered the mouthpiece as I handed the phone over to Hayden. “Are you sure about this?” I whispered.

  Hayden grinned and winked at me, whispering back. “It's in the bag.”

  He took the phone, went into the bedroom and, to my surprise, shut the door, leaving me out in the hallway. What? Are you kidding me? I stood there looking at the white door and started huffing. I knew Hayden wasn't going to ruin anything I'd just talked about with Joel. If anything, he would solidify everything and probably win Joel over in a heartbeat, but I couldn't believe that he would just shut me out of the room like that. I'd gotten somewhat used to the fact that he was already marking his territory on me and my belongings...but to just go off into my best friend's old room and talk to him on the phone and shut me out of the room? The audacity!

  I folded my arms tightly and stomped out to the living room. I wasn't about to barge in on him while he was on the phone and start our bantering. It wouldn't make a good impression on Joel and, of course, Hayden knew that. Ugh!

  I paced the room until I caught sight of myself in the small mirror hanging under one of my art pieces. I walked up to my reflection and glanced at the bandage on my neck. I was curious to see what I'd find, so I pulled away some of the tape and lifted the gauze. I saw that my wound wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the day before when I bathed. The cuts were almost gone and only left evidence of a long, pink, puffy slice in the skin. It was like I was healing ten times faster than normal. Deciding I didn't need it anymore, I pulled the bandage off completely.

  “My first battle scar,” I muttered to myself as I sat down on the couch, folding my arms again.

  I gave a lot of thought to the fast rate at which I healed; all the broken bones, the scrapes, and bruising, not to mention all the head damage that fall would have caused. Briefly, I wondered again, if I really was going crazy, and all of this chaos was a figment of my imagination. For all I knew, I was still in the hospital in the same coma I thought I was out of.

  But I knew better. Nothing felt more real than when I met Hayden and inhaled his intoxicating scent of fallen rain. Nothing felt more real than when he touched me or smiled at me, or gazed at me with those emerald eyes of his. Nothing felt more real than being so close to his lips and secretly wanting to kiss them. Indeed, it was all real.

  I lay down, taking up the entire couch with my body while staring at the ceiling. I couldn't stand it. Even when he infuriated me, I couldn't look past the euphoric feelings I had when I was with him. The thirst I had for him was untamed and uncontrollable, and I hated that lack of control; it wasn't me. Now, more than ever, I needed to be in control or I was going to lose myself completely.

  I thought about what Hayden and Joel were talking about, the very two men in my life that knew me the most, conversing together for the first time. It was unnerving to sit there and wait, but finally the bedroom door opened, and Hayden came walking out still talking on his cell and sporting a smug grin. I glared at him.

  “Sure, Joel!.........Not a problem.........Don't worry about a thing. We'll get the address to you as soon as we have one. You have my word.” Hayden was by the couch and ready to hand me the phone, “All right, buddy. We'll talk to you soon. I'll hand ya back over to Ev..............Later.” Hayden handed me the cell. Reluctantly, I grabbed it from his hand.

  I covered the mouthpiece and whispered to Hayden, “I can't believe you.”

  Hayden raised a brow and gave me a cocky smile. “You'll thank me later,” he whispered as he turned to walk back down the hall.

  I couldn't help it, just like I couldn't help my mouth sometimes. I raised my hand and flicked him off as he walked away, thrashing my hand through the air violently, knowing he wouldn't see it, and then I heard, “I saw that.” Hayden glanced nonchalantly over his shoulder. Ugh! I took a deep breath before getting back to Joel.

  “Hey, Jo Jo, everything okay?” I anxiously asked into the phone.

  “Is everything okay? Holy crudpuppies, Evika! Hayden is adorable!” Joel exclaimed.

  Of course, I thought. “Uh, okay. So I guess you two hit it off?”

  “Oh, to say the least! Ev-bear, you're lucky you got to him first.”

  I chuckled at his comment. “Hmm. So he must have charmed you, huh?”

  “Evika, charmed is not the word. I'm completely dazzled.”

  What a surprise. I guess it was a good thing. I shouldn't have held my irritation over the fact that Joel was really okay with all of these sudden changes, and the fact that Hayden won Joel over in just a simple talk over the phone.

  “I'm glad that you approve, Jo Jo. That makes me feel so much better and it takes a lot of the pressure off of me after having made this decision without you around.”

  “I officially approve, and I can't wait to meet him someday.” I could hear Joel's smile through the phone.

  I sighed. “Well, I can't wait to see you again, Joel. I miss you so much it hurts.”

  “Girl, you're tellin' me. Don't worry. We'll figure something out soon when I get a break from school and you're settled into the new place. Oh! And you still have to meet Evan!”

  “Really? You guys are still going strong after all I've put you through?” I tried to laugh, but I knew Evan must be a special kind of person to handle Joel and how crazy he probably was being so far away and going nuts over what had happened to me.

  “Sure are...actually he kept me sane through the whole thing. He's really something.”

  “He's already got my vote, Jo. That says a lot about someone.”

  Joel sighed. “I'm just glad this part of the drama is all over. We can go back to a...somewhat-normalcy again.” It was funny how Joel just knew things weren't going to be completely as they were. He seemed to pick up on those things rather quickly and was very insightful, just one of the things I loved about him. “Oh, and don't be doing anything reckless and stupid again either, or I'm holding your Hayden personally responsible. And such a shame that would be because he sounds like a really yummy piece of---”

  “Joel!” I cut him off. “I promise you, I'm okay. No more stunts.”

  We sighed simultaneously.

  “I believe you, Ev-bear...and I love you all the way from Paris.”

  I chuckled. “I love you back, Jo Jo, all the way from Cleveland.”

  “Never goodbye,” Joel started.

  “Just see ya later,” I finished for him.

  I ended the call and headed back to the bedroom to give Hayden his phone. He was in the room, having already taken a shower, dressed in jeans and a gray t-shirt with a pair of black wings on the breast. Funny. Har. Har.

  “Here's your phone back,” I said as I placed it on the nightstand.

  Hayden looked up at me as he rustled his fingers through his wet hair. “Thanks.”

  I looked at him for a moment and shook my head. “So, what was that all about?” I demanded.

  He shrugged as he finished tying his boots. “I'm entitled to privacy once in a while, aren't I?”

  My bottom jaw dropped. “With my best friend? I can't believe you shut the door on me when I let you be a part of my entire conversation. You're unbelievable, you know that?”

  Hayden laughed. “Like I said before, Evika,” he gave me his cheesy smile, “you'll thank me later.”

  “Ugh! What does that even mean?”

  “You'll see,” he said to me.

  “You exhaust me.” I threw my hands into the air and fell backwards onto the bed.

  “Apparently,” he jeered.

  I sat up stiffly and glared. “No, I really mean it,” I said sharply. “You exhaust me. I can't keep up with you at all!” Hayden smirked at me. I could tell he felt proud. “Ugh!” I stood and waved my hands around animatedly. “And then you do these expressions that look like you know something that I don't know, which is true, because every time I turn around, there's something you do that just makes my head spin!”

  “You're not a fan of mystery, are you?” he asked playfully.

  I huffed as I felt my blood heating. “Jeez, you're relentless!”

  He looked at me curiously. “What exactly is your problem?”

  I glowered. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I'm not kidding. What is it that is pissing you off so much that you are in here yelling at me about me?”

  “Hayden, it's like you keep the curtains closed over all these things, and you purposely tease me by only opening one at a time...and I don't even know how many there are! And on top of that, I have to twist the truth to my best friend about this whole new life I'm going to be leading, sweating bullets all the while. My life has been turned upside down, as if it wasn't already before you showed up!” I started pacing. “And then you get on the phone, close the door on me, and come waltzing out after becoming all buddy-buddy with Joel in a matter of minutes!”

  “So, that's your issue?” Hayden chuckled. “You're mad at me for befriending Joel?” He walked closer to me.

  I threw my head back and grunted. “It's everything, Hayden! Why is this so hard to communicate to you?”

  Hayden belted out a deep laugh. “Evika,” his green eyes lightened as he tried to look at me and speak seriously, but he failed miserably, so I just got more ticked off. “You're experiencing the normal feelings of your new role, and your rage is one of a kind, so please try to calm down.” He just couldn't stop laughing.

  “So that's it?” I threw my hands in the air again. “I tell you how unfair my life is now, or rather, what's left of it, and you laugh hysterically?” I was yelling at this point. “You know, I'm beginning to think this crap about you being an angel is a big load of sh---”

  “Hold it!” In one, quick movement, his two fingers pressed against my lips firmly. Calm swept through me like a wave of warmth. I felt leveled again. It was something I'd felt a few times with him before, but I wasn't aware of the control Hayden had over it. I stood in a stupor.

  He kept his fingers to my lips for at least ten seconds as he studied my face. His eyes bore into mine as if he was concentrating. The rage tamed inside me from a boil to a simmer and then to almost nothing. We stood there in silence, staring at one another. What was that? What had just happened between us? I knew myself. I didn't cool off that fast when I was angry.

  Hayden looked at me with solemn eyes. The green in them sparkled like emeralds. “Never, in my entire existence, have I seen someone get so worked up and heated so quickly,” he said, almost as if he were fascinated rather than irritated. “This must be why I was made for you,” he said in amazement as he slowly claimed his hand back and kept his eyes on me. “Are you better now?” A genuine smile formed on his flawless face.

  “I was fine before,” I said smugly. “What did you just do to me?” I demanded to know.

  “I did what you should learn how to do. I controlled your anger for you.” He shrugged and walked out of the room.

  Ugh! As if my life wasn't weird enough already with having to save dead people and fight demonic creatures, I now had a so-called Guardian Angel who'd just discovered his talent of sedating me? Really? The more appropriate question was: how far could Hayden take that talent? Was I not going to be allowed to feel my normal emotions without his interference? I'm human! Emotions make you feel alive, especially my own, and he had the ability to do that little number on me?

  All of these things made me think harder and made me even more frustrated as I watched him walk away. I followed him. He was an idiot if he thought that I would let him walk away without explanation. I stamped down the hall loud enough for him to know I was tagging along. I wanted to see his reaction. He deposited himself on the living room couch and turned on the television as if nothing had happened.

  “Hey! I'm not done with this yet! What the hell did you just do to me?” I yelled.

  Without turning to me, he lightly laughed while flipping through the channels. “Apparently, whatever I did didn't last long.”

  That was the moment I just felt like throwing the biggest hissy-fit of my life. I plopped myself on the couch next to him, narrowing my eyes as I stared at his emotionless expression toward the television.

  “See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. The damn curtains! I'm not letting this go, Hayden,” I said, folding my arms. “You should know me well enough by now that I just don't let things go. What just happened in there?”

  He cocked his head and looked at me. “Do you have to know the answers to everything? Am I not allowed to keep some things to myself at all?” He chuckled.

  “When it comes to my life, I feel that I have a right to know, especially when you're messing with my body the way you just did. And yes, I'd like to think knowing the answers to everything keeps me up-to-date with the real world, considering I hardly live in it anymore. Will you please just tell me what's going on?” I made a conscious effort to keep my arms folded.

  He sighed. “Guess I'll have to, but only if you promise not to go all angerball on me again.”

  Angerball? He caught me by surprise. “Wh-what did you just say?”

  “What? Angerball?”

  “Yes, that. Where did you hear that?”

  Hayden took on his solemn look. “I think you know.”

  I stared into his eyes. “My mother...she used to call me her little angerball when I lost my temper. It was kind of a running joke between us, and it always used to make me laugh.”

  His green eyes looked into mine, and I felt even more comfort. I wondered if he was calming me down again, but I had a hunch his talent only worked the strongest when he touched me. I felt drawn to him, and the fact that I could possibly lose myself in that sensation didn't bother me at all. It was a new feeling that made my heart pound and my head float. Although I'd never let on, his knowing parts of my life kept me grounded.

  “You really have been around for my whole life, haven't you?” I asked in amazement.

  “Yes,” he answered with a smile, “and I paid very close attention, too.” He turned toward me, placing his arm on the back of the couch and gently played with my pony tail. “Evika, I know this whole thing is hard on you, especially without her, but she would be so proud of you.”

  The lump in my throat formed, and the tingle in my nose grew, warning me to shut my eyes tightly. “I want her back,” I whispered. My head sank, and as I let the tears form, I felt a darkness fall over me. “I would accept any fate I'm given as long as I could just have her back. Her death was a mistake, and I'll never accept it.”

 

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